The Promise of Summer: the new heartwarming and uplifting romance for summer 2021

by Bella Osborne

  Adrian crouched down in front of her. Boomer instantly joined him and demanded a fuss. ‘Can I get you anything, Kim?’ he asked.

  ‘No, thanks. What was it you came in for?’

  ‘Crumbs – I completely forgot.’ He picked up a bag from behind the counter and handed her a bottle of rhubarb gin. ‘It’s just a little something to say thank you for doing Hayley’s flowers at such short notice and after everything that happened.’

  Kim could have cried at the thoughtfulness. ‘My favourite.’ As tears welled in her eyes, she sniffed them back, making quite an unattractive sound and she wished she hadn’t done it.

  ‘You sure you’re okay?’ he asked, his face full of concern.

  ‘I’m fine. I bet there’s a million and one things you need to do before the wedding tomorrow. You should go.’

  ‘If it’s okay with you then I will. I’ve written and rewritten my speech a dozen times and I’m still not happy with it.’ He ran a hand through his hair.

  ‘It’ll be perfect. A wedding reception is the ideal audience – everyone is happy and they all want you to do well. Don’t worry about it. Go,’ she said, shooing him with her free hand.

  ‘But we’ll catch up soon. Yes?’

  ‘Very soon. I’ll be dropping off the flowers in the morning.’

  ‘Of course.’ He jokingly slapped himself on the forehead. ‘Okay great. I’ll see you then.’ Adrian paused to wave twice as he headed for the door. ‘Bye.’

  Ruby appeared through the beads with some flowers in her hands. ‘He’s lovely. And as far as we know, not a criminal. I think you two should get it on.’

  ‘Thank you for your sage advice but it’s a bit complicated. What with Hayley not being keen and me getting caught up with Vince, I’m taking a leaf out of your book and swearing off men for a while.’ Boomer dropped his head in her lap, almost knocking her tea. ‘Apart from you, boy.’

  ‘I don’t blame you.’ Ruby began wrapping stems together to make one of the bridesmaid’s bouquets. ‘I’ve got a new plan. It’s early days but I’ve made a few enquiries.’

  Kim was pleased to be distracted from thoughts of Vince. ‘Go on, what’s the new plan?’

  ‘I’m investigating fostering. It would be instead of the sperm donor idea. And who knows, fostering might lead to adoption.’ Ruby did a gleeful jiggle and looked elated at the prospect.

  Kim recalled her conversation with Curtis. ‘Ah. You’re definitely not doing the sperm donor thing?’

  Ruby fixed her with a worried look. ‘What? Do you think fostering is a bad idea?’

  ‘No. I think you’d be amazing at it.’

  ‘You get all sorts of training and support and you get paid too. I might need to speak to you about reducing my hours but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.’ Ruby tied a perfect bow – if only everything could be tied up as neatly, thought Kim.

  ‘Ruby …’ Kim bit her lip. ‘I’ve got a confession to make.’

  Ruby was very fond of Kim but she had overstepped a line. She’d kept it together in the shop while Kim had confessed to telling Curtis that Ruby wanted him to be her donor. There was little point ranting and raving – Kim was her boss and on top of that Kim had had a totally rubbish morning thanks to Vince. They’d worked on the wedding flowers until late. But it meant Ruby had bottled her frustration and now she was pacing around her tiny flat trying to work out what to do for the best. Seymour was lying on the back of the sofa and he took a playful swipe at her each time she went past and every time he missed.

  She wanted to speak to Curtis about fostering – that had been what she’d wanted to ask him about but it had felt personal and the moment hadn’t been quite right. Now things were decidedly awkward. If she explained to him that Kim had got it wrong, he’d know Kim wouldn’t have made it up so it would look like she was lying. If she said she had a new idea would it make her look fickle? She didn’t want him thinking the fostering thing was a whim. She’d been mulling it over for weeks. In fact, pretty much ever since she’d known he was a foster child.

  The more she’d thought about it the more certain she had become that it was the right path for her to take. There were thousands of children who came in and out of the care of social services and if she could do a little bit to make their lives better then she’d feel she was doing something worthwhile. It was an opportunity to share the love she had and become a parent to someone who truly needed one.

  She was also coming to terms with the fact that Curtis was probably right about her having autophobia. She didn’t like the idea of being alone and this was a good way to solve that and at the same time give a happy temporary home and lots of love to a child who needed it. She realised her mother’s legacy was love. She missed her terribly and that would take time to heal but what she had shown her was that loving another human being was what made you happy – regardless of how they came into your life. And at least she was being honest with herself about her motivation for doing it. She paused her pacing. Seymour took three swipes at her and caught her on his third attempt.

  ‘Hey, you,’ she said. Seymour went to give her an affectionate head bump, missed and almost fell off the sofa. ‘I’ll feed you before I go, I promise.’

  She needed to speak to Curtis tonight but it had to be a face-to-face conversation. She fed the cat, grabbed a bottle of wine as she didn’t like the idea of turning up empty-handed and set off for Curtis’s house. She went over what she was going to say on the way there. She’d be honest and explain that she had been considering him as a sperm donor but she felt fostering was a far better option all round. Whilst, on paper, he was the ideal candidate she wanted them to stay friends and something like that would definitely complicate things.

  She pulled up outside and could see there were lights on. He was in. She rang the bell and waited. As the door opened she held up the wine as a peace offering and came face to face with Cordelia. Ruby was gobsmacked. She lowered the wine and the smile slid from her face. Somehow with everything else that had been going on she’d forgotten about Cordelia. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her – she did. She was obviously a better fit for Curtis than she was. And whilst she wanted Cordelia and Curtis’s relationship to go well she hoped there was an opportunity for her and Curtis to continue their friendship because she had come to really value it.

  ‘Erm, hi,’ said Ruby. ‘Is Curtis in?’

  Cordelia was staring at the wine bottle. She stepped outside and pulled the door to. ‘Ruby, can I have a quiet word?’

  ‘Sure.’ She had a bad feeling about what was coming next. She hoped Curtis hadn’t said anything to her about the sperm donor idea.

  ‘I get that you and Curtis are … close.’ She had a way of saying it that made it sound like incest. ‘But as employer and employee I think it’s better for everyone if there are clear boundaries. Don’t you agree?’ As she’d feared, Cordelia was one of those women who were uncomfortable with their partner having female friends.

  ‘No,’ said Ruby, and she revelled in the stunned look on Cordelia’s face. ‘I’ve worked for Kim for over three years and in that time we’ve grown really close,’ she said, mirroring Cordelia’s odd inflection of the word. ‘And everything is better because of it. We know each other inside and out, which makes us more productive, more creative and happier people.’ She gave a broad grin; she was definitely happy in her work and that was largely down to her relationship with Kim.

  ‘Perhaps flower arranging is unique in that regard but with—’

  ‘Ruby, hello,’ said Curtis, opening the door fully. ‘I thought I heard your voice. You’d best come in.’ She retained her grin as she jauntily walked past Cordelia, leaving her to shut the door behind them.

  They gathered in the kitchen. Ruby noticed he had a new roller blind. ‘I like the Orla Kiely blind. The colours work really well.’

  ‘I chose it,’ said Cordelia, snaking an arm protectively around Curtis. He seemed to stiffen slightly. ‘And I bought him matching oven glov
es as a gift.’

  ‘Because you’re too hot to handle?’ quipped Ruby, thinking about the note on the stapler Curtis had given Cordelia.

  Cordelia’s brows puckered. ‘No. They’re so he doesn’t burn himself.’ These two are made for each other, thought Ruby.

  ‘No double doors yet, though,’ said Ruby, looking around.

  Curtis chuckled. ‘No, I’m still working on those.’

  ‘That’s good to hear,’ said Ruby, revelling in their exchange.

  Cordelia appeared confused. ‘Is that some sort of in-joke?’

  ‘Very much so,’ said Ruby. ‘It’s all part of our close relationship.’

  ‘Was there a purpose to your visit, Ruby?’ asked Cordelia, her tone unamused.

  Ruby put the wine on the counter. This was a bit awkward. Her planned speech didn’t work quite as well with his girlfriend present. She’d just have to make some amendments on the hoof.

  ‘This.’ She pointed at the wine. ‘Is to say sorry for the confusion over what Kim said to you today. I admit I had considered … it, but I’ve decided against it partly because of …’ she glanced at Cordelia ‘… certain changes in your relationship status. But mainly because I have a better idea.’ Curtis was nodding; at least it appeared one person knew what she was talking about. ‘What I actually wanted to talk to you about … and now might not be the time, was your experience of fostering and your thoughts on me doing it.’ She was aware she was doing her arm-waving thing, so she stopped talking and suddenly was overwhelmed with self-consciousness. She realised how important Curtis’s opinion was to her. She wasn’t entirely sure why she needed his endorsement for this big life decision – but she did.

  ‘Then you’d be leaving Curtis’s employ?’ asked Cordelia, looking pleased.

  ‘Not necessarily.’ She probably would have to but right now she didn’t want to please Cordelia. Her little speech about employee-employer boundaries had pissed her right off.

  ‘I see,’ said Curtis. His expression unreadable. Ruby waited.

  Cordelia appeared impatient. ‘Curtis?’

  ‘To summarise,’ began Curtis. ‘You’ve decided against pursuing a sperm donor, which also means you have discounted my sperm as an option.’ Cordelia gasped. Ruby couldn’t look at her. At least she knew he’d not already discussed Kim’s revelation with Cordelia, which felt like a bonus. Curtis continued unperturbed. ‘You are planning to continue with two jobs and foster as a single parent.’

  ‘Yeah,’ she said, her voice a little overwhelmed, which was exactly how she felt now he’d played it back to her.

  Cordelia hooted with laughter. ‘This is a joke. Some sort of comic wind-up you two have cooked up?’ She jabbed a finger at both of them.

  ‘No,’ said Ruby. She swallowed hard. Did it sound like a joke? She hoped it didn’t because for the first time in a long while she actually had a half-decent life plan mapped out.

  Cordelia’s laughter faded and her face turned stony. ‘You come over here with your in-jokes, cheap wine …’ it was Ruby’s turn to gasp ‘… and ideas about my boyfriend’s sperm!’ Cordelia’s nostrils flared and Ruby wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d snorted out fire – she certainly looked angry enough.

  ‘No,’ said Curtis, perfectly calmly. ‘She said she doesn’t want my sperm.’

  ‘Do you think this is appropriate?’ Cordelia was staring wide-eyed and incredulous at Curtis.

  He gave Ruby a sideways look and she shrugged. Cordelia possibly had a point. ‘Ruby is my friend. Friends share intimacies with each other,’ said Curtis. This didn’t help.

  Cordelia’s face was turning quite red. ‘Is there something I should know? Have I been a fool? Have you been carrying on this whole time?’

  ‘That’s quite a few different questions,’ said Curtis. ‘Shall we take them one at a time?’

  ‘Are you friends with benefits?’ asked Cordelia.

  ‘Yes, a great many,’ said Curtis cheerfully.

  Ruby waved for him to shut up. ‘No, Cordelia. There’s nothing going on between us. There have been no intimacies and no benefits. I promise you.’ She shook her head at Curtis, who looked perplexed beyond his standard confused form. ‘I don’t want to cause any issues between the two of you. I should go.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Cordelia, straightening her spine. ‘I think that’s best.’

  ‘Maybe I’ll catch you another time, Curtis,’ said Ruby. She knew Cordelia was going to lay down some rules once she’d left.

  ‘Yes,’ said Curtis.

  ‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Cordelia. ‘I mean, if you worked in my company, Human Resources would be crawling all over this wholly inappropriate relationship. If you had any decency you’d resign.’ Cordelia stared Ruby down.

  The fight had gone out of Ruby. ‘If that’s what you want, fine. Consider me resigned.’ Ruby paused to look at Curtis, willing him to react, to fight for their friendship. To fight for her – even if it was only as an employee. Did their friendship not mean the same to him as it did to her?

  ‘That really should be in writing,’ said Curtis at last.

  ‘Fine,’ snapped Ruby. ‘I’ll send you a bloody spreadsheet!’ She snatched up her wine, because they didn’t deserve it, and marched out with as much dignity as she could muster, tears welling in her eyes and her heart in tatters.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  On Friday morning Ruby and Kim were both quiet as they loaded Hayley’s wedding flowers into the van. As Ruby turned to go back inside the shop, she noticed Kim add an extra bouquet she didn’t recognise.

  ‘Dropping it off on the way,’ Kim explained. She shut the doors and paused by the van. ‘Ruby, I’m really sorry,’ she said, for the umpteenth time.

  Ruby faced her. ‘It’s okay.’ She didn’t want Kim to take the blame for something that was inevitable. ‘It’s not what you said to Curtis. Having friends of the opposite sex rarely works out well.’

  ‘Was it just a friendship though? I thought you and Curtis had the potential for more than that,’ said Kim.

  Ruby played with a strand of hair. She didn’t want to dwell on what might have been – that wasn’t going to help. ‘I liked him as a friend but basically it would never work as a romantic relationship. He has as much of an idea about romance as ABBA do about heavy metal.’

  ‘Really? This is the man who took you to Covent Garden at the mere mention it was somewhere you’d always wanted to go. He bought you a new phone having met you only hours before, invented a job for you and cooked you cottage pie. That sounds pretty good to me.’

  Ruby was confused by her feelings. ‘But he’s part robot.’

  ‘Is he? I mean, what are you really looking for in a partner?’

  Ruby thought back to the list she’d shared with Curtis. ‘Someone I can trust, who makes me laugh and has the same interests and life goals as me.’

  ‘And does Curtis tick any of those boxes?’

  ‘It’s more complicated than that. He’s Curtis. He doesn’t fit the standard tick list. He’s completely straightforward and yet utterly complex at the same time.’

  ‘It sounds to me like you’re trying to convince yourself he’s not right for you, rather than looking at what does work between you.’ When Ruby started to protest, Kim held up her hands. ‘I’m just saying. Anyway, I’ve got to go.’ She hopped in the van and drove off. Ruby stayed standing on the pavement and watched the van disappear. Kim had given her some food for thought. The sad thing was it was all a bit too late.

  Kim dropped off the separate bouquet that wasn’t for Hayley’s wedding and then arranged the church flowers. There was something calm about being inside a church alone. The altar spray and pew decorations, didn’t take long to place but gave the desired effect. She set off for the hotel and felt a little squiggle of anticipation at the thought she might bump into Adrian; he’d said he’d be there early helping to get things ready. She parked the car and went inside to check which room the reception was being held
in.

  She was shown through and her heart sank a little. There was no one there. Countless tables were ready with name cards and favours, chairs covered and tied with blush sashes and balloons carpeting the dance floor. She stopped by the reception desk on her way back to the van. ‘Is anyone from the wedding party here?’ she asked nonchalantly.

  ‘No, they were here last night to get things ready. Did you need to speak to someone?’

  ‘No, it’s fine. Thanks,’ said Kim, trying to stifle a sigh. She’d missed him but she’d catch him at the house when she dropped off the bridal party bouquets and buttonholes.

  She spent a while putting out the centrepieces. Each table had a small globe vase and Kim took her time arranging the flowers in every one, snipping fractions off stems so they sat precisely. She made a space on the top table where the altar flowers would sit when they were brought from the church and left a sticky note to be on the safe side.

  She had one last look from the door. The room looked perfect. She hoped Hayley and Adrian thought the same.

  As soon as she pulled up at Adrian’s house, Hayley came running down the path in her dressing gown. Her hair was up and looked beautiful.

  ‘Morning, bride-to-be.’

  ‘Did you have enough for all the tables?’

  ‘Yep, all done. Take a breath. The reception room looks beautiful.’

  ‘Altar flowers?’

  ‘That was my first stop. They look lovely. You just need someone to remember to take them to the reception.’

  ‘Best man, chief bridesmaid and Dad.’

  ‘Three people for one spray? It’s not that big.’

  ‘I figured if I asked three of them at least one would remember.’ Hayley seemed to be calming down a little.

  ‘Good plan. Now go back inside and I’ll bring in everything.’ Surprisingly Hayley did as she was asked. Ever since an excited bride had snatched her bouquet and promptly tripped over and destroyed it, Kim had a thing about taking the flowers to where they needed to be. After that it was someone else’s responsibility.